Chapters 2 - 4 in textbook + additional material not found in textbook
ECOLOGY
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Code Content Expectation B3.2
Ecosystems The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, some energy is stored in newly made structures, but much is dissipated into the environment as heat. Continual input of energy from sunlight keeps the process going. B3.2A
Identify how energy is stored in an ecosystem.
B3.2B
Describe energy transfer through an ecosystem, accounting for energy lost to the environment as heat. B3.2C
Draw the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Predict changes in the food web when one or more organisms are removed. B3.3
Element Recombination As matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems—cells, organs, organisms, and communities—and between living systems and the physical environment, chemical elements are recombined in different ways. Each recombination results in storage and dissipation of energy into the environment as heat. Matter and energy are conserved in each change. B3.3A
Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers and explain the transfer of energy through trophic levels. B3.3b
Describe environmental processes (e.g., the carbon and nitrogen cycles) and their role in processing matter crucial for sustaining life.
Population Ecology and Human Impacts on Ecosystems Code Content Expectation B2.2g
Propose how moving an organism to a new environment may influence its ability to survive and predict the possible impact of this type of transfer. B3.4
Changes in Ecosystem Although the interrelationships and interdependence of organisms may generate biological communities in ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years, ecosystems always change when climate changes or when one or more new species appear as a result of migration or local evolution. The impact of the human species has major consequences for other species. B3.4A
Describe ecosystem stability. Understand that if a disaster such as flood or fire occurs, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in stages of succession that eventually result in a system similar to the original one. B3.4C
Examine the negative impact of human activities. B3.4x
Human Impact Humans can have tremendous impact on the environment. Sometimes their impact is beneficial, and sometimes it is detrimental B3.4d
Describe the greenhouse effect and list possible causes. B3.4e
List the possible causes and consequences of global warming. B3.5
Populations Populations of living things increase and decrease in size as they interact with other populations and with the environment. The rate of change is dependent upon relative birth and death rates. B3.5A
Graph changes in population growth, given a data table. B3.5B
Explain the influences that affect population growth. B3.5C
Predict the consequences of an invading organism on the survival of other organisms. B3.5x
Environmental Factors The shape of population growth curves vary with the type of organism and environmental conditions, such as availability of nutrients and space. As the population increases and resources become more scarce, the population usually stabilizes at the carrying capacity of that environment B3.5e
Recognize that and describe how the physical or chemical environment may influence the rate, extent, and nature of population dynamics within ecosystems. B3.5f
Graph an example of exponential growth. Then show the population leveling off at the carrying capacity of the environment.
Unit 2: Ecology
NOTESVIDEOS Shown in Class
Global Warming Mini-Project
Code Content Expectation
B3.2
Ecosystems The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, some energy is stored in newly made structures, but much is dissipated into the environment as heat. Continual input of energy from sunlight keeps the process going.
B3.2A
Identify how energy is stored in an ecosystem.
B3.2B
Describe energy transfer through an ecosystem, accounting for energy lost to the environment as heat.
B3.2C
Draw the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Predict changes in the food web when one or more organisms are removed.
B3.3
Element Recombination As matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems—cells, organs, organisms, and communities—and between living systems and the physical environment, chemical elements are recombined in different ways. Each recombination results in storage and dissipation of energy into the environment as heat. Matter and energy are conserved in each change.
B3.3A
Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers and explain the transfer of energy through trophic levels.
B3.3b
Describe environmental processes (e.g., the carbon and nitrogen cycles) and their role in processing matter crucial for sustaining life.
Population Ecology and Human Impacts on Ecosystems
Code Content Expectation
B2.2g
Propose how moving an organism to a new environment may influence its ability to survive and predict the possible impact of this type of transfer.
B3.4
Changes in Ecosystem Although the interrelationships and interdependence of organisms may generate biological communities in ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years, ecosystems always change when climate changes or when one or more new species appear as a result of migration or local evolution. The impact of the human species has major consequences for other species.
B3.4A
Describe ecosystem stability. Understand that if a disaster such as flood or fire occurs, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in stages of succession that eventually result in a system similar to the original one.
B3.4C
Examine the negative impact of human activities.
B3.4x
Human Impact Humans can have tremendous impact on the environment. Sometimes their impact is beneficial, and sometimes it is detrimental
B3.4d
Describe the greenhouse effect and list possible causes.
B3.4e
List the possible causes and consequences of global warming.
B3.5
Populations Populations of living things increase and decrease in size as they interact with other populations and with the environment. The rate of change is dependent upon relative birth and death rates.
B3.5A
Graph changes in population growth, given a data table.
B3.5B
Explain the influences that affect population growth.
B3.5C
Predict the consequences of an invading organism on the survival of other organisms.
B3.5x
Environmental Factors The shape of population growth curves vary with the type of organism and environmental conditions, such as availability of nutrients and space. As the population increases and resources become more scarce, the population usually stabilizes at the carrying capacity of that environment
B3.5e
Recognize that and describe how the physical or chemical environment may influence the rate, extent, and nature of population dynamics within ecosystems.
B3.5f
Graph an example of exponential growth. Then show the population leveling off at the carrying capacity of the environment.